Includes bibliographical references (p. [197]-199) and index

For the love of Zeus -- The Greek sports craze -- Countdown -- The olympic boot camp -- Trials of the ancient sports fan -- Scenes from the fringe -- Let the games begin -- Blood on the tracks : the chariot race -- The pentathlon -- The victors, the feast -- The sacred slaughter -- No Philistines in the stadium -- To race with immortals -- javelins into spears -- The forgotten amazons -- Theater of pain : the contact sports -- Bring on the leeches ... -- Last rites

"Peeling away the layers of myth, Perrottet lays bare the ancient sporting experience - including the round-the-clock bacchanal inside the tents of the Olympic Village, the all-male nude workouts under the statue of Eros, and history's first corruption scandals involving athletes. Featuring sometimes scandalous cameos by sports enthusiasts Plato, Socrates, and Herodotus, The Naked Olympics offers essential insight into today's Games and an unforgettable guide to the world's first and most influential athletic festival."--BOOK JACKET

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